Writers on Writing is our regular conversation with a writer or industry professional about the writing craft, industry insights, and their own practice. This week, we spoke to Pamela Cook about writing and revising your novel, including developing a daily writing practice and learning to self-edit.
How much time should a writer spend with an idea before they start writing? How can we know when we’re due to put pen to page?
There’s no specific amount of time you should daydream before putting pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard. It varies enormously. Pantsers, (writers who like to write by the seat of their pants and discover the story as they go) often do very little and may start with only one image, or a character name, or a place, or an idea. Plotters (writers who love to plot out the story in advance) generally spend more time working out the plot and timeline before they start. I do think that the daydreaming aspect of writing a story is underrated. Whether you do this for a few weeks or months, or sometimes years before writing those first words, or whether you jump in and allow time for dreaming as part of the process, it’s important to factor that into your schedule. And never under rate the power of intuition when it comes to knowing what to write next. Trust in your subconscious and watch the magic unfold!
What is your advice for writers who’ve started writing, but feel like their novel is running out of steam?
This is such a common problem and one I face in pretty much every manuscript. I usually get to the 25K or 30K mark and get stuck. It took me seven novels to realise this is part of my process! It’s usually the point where I realise I have the wrong inciting incident or have started in the wrong place. So, I go back and tweak or move scenes around until I’m happy with the opening and first third of the story. If you get stuck mid-scene or really at any point, consider throwing in more conflict in the form of an outside event or character that will cause trouble for the protagonist. Making things worse for your characters will help drive the momentum of the story. You should also check things like character motivation and goals, and make sure that there’s plenty at stake. Think about the point you’re working towards at the end of the novel and take the hardest route (for your character) rather than the easiest. Create plenty of obstacles that give your point of view character the opportunity to change.
What does your daily writing practice look like?
My daily practice varies depending on whether or not I have a deadline. When I do, I try to get most of my words down in the morning in a space well away from distractions. For me this is my vintage caravan, Virginia. I use a focus app which plays white noise and is based on the Pomodoro Technique, where you write for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, and then get back to it. Four of these sessions gives you two hours of writing. And then I usually repeat the process again. I aim for 2000 words a day but often only make 1700. At the start of the next session I read over what I wrote the day before and edit before moving forward. When I’m in the midst of a project I try and write every day or at least 5 days a week so I stay in the dream of the story, as I know from experience how hard it is to get my head back into it after a break. In between projects I work on my teaching projects and I’m also getting back into journaling, which I’m loving.
When we’ve finished writing the final chapter of our manuscript, what should we do next? How does the self-editing process begin?
Once you’ve typed the end, make sure you celebrate! Getting to that point is a huge achievement and many writers never make it. You now have something whole to work with, but the real work is just beginning. Let the manuscript rest for as long as possible. A month or two if you can (or even more). We need to take that space so we can come back and read it through as if someone else is the author. It’s impossible to gain complete objectivity about our own writing but time and space helps. Read it through as a full story, making brief notes on it overall and focusing on the big picture. Then revise it on a structural level, moving around scenes, making deletions and additions before zooming in and looking at chapters, scenes and then lines. There’s no magic number when it comes to revisions, just keep going until you feel there’s nothing more you can do. Then find some trusted beta readers before considering submission.
Pamela Cook is an author, podcaster and teacher who writes stories of longing and belonging, delving deep into the psychology of her characters and the complexity of relationships in all their forms. She has had four novels and two novellas published traditionally, along with two independent titles. Pamela is the host of the Writes4Women podcast and teaches writing workshops through her business, Wildwords, and at various writers’ centres. Her latest full-length release is Out of the Ashes published by Bolinda Audio, and her most recent novella The Christmas Contract is out now as part of A Country Farm Christmas, an anthology published by HQ Harper Collins. She has recently signed with UK publisher Vinci Books.
Join Pamela Cook’s course, Online: Novel Writing from Idea to Manuscript, Monday 26 May to Friday 1 August 2025, online.
If you want to be the first to read great advice, prompts and inspiration from our incredible tutors, subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter Newsbite.
More from Writing NSW
Check out our full range of writing courses in Sydney, our online writing courses and our feedback programs to see how we can help you on your creative writing journey. Find out about our competitions and opportunities, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, opportunities and giveaways.